Scuba diving

Scuba diving is still the biggest attraction on Ko Tao. Diving in Ko Tao is easy, fun, and you can see turtles, stingrays, barracudas, lots of small fish, reef sharks, and there is a very small chance of seeing a whale shark.

At Chumphon Pinnacle you are likely to see juvenile bull sharks which have, until recently, been misidentified as grey reef sharks. Don't worry, the bulls are curious but not aggressive and for many years literally thousands of people have dived this site without a single shark related incident.

Nearly any time of the year except November is good diving weather in Ko Tao and visibility can exceed 40 meters. Average visibility is around 15-20 meters. In November visibility is reduced and the seas are choppy, but diving is good by the standards of many other destinations.

It is possible and perfectly comfortable to swim and dive without a wetsuit year round. However, as with most diving, a wetsuit is recommended to help reduce risk of cuts or injury. Avoid contact with coral reefs!

Dive Shops

There are a huge number of dive operators on the island, many offering budget accommodation (sometimes described as free accommodation, but this is not really true as you will usually get a discount if you stay elsewhere). Currently (2008) the price for PADI open water certification including the new PADI training manual, professional instruction, rental equipment, boat dives, and certification is around 10,000 baht; insurance and basic accommodation may also be included. Shop around as not all shops teach the course in the same way. Look for experienced dive instructors instead of a low price.

A common method for teaching new divers is to train in a pool first by being taught about 20 basic skills before being taken out into the open water. Others will instead take you to a secluded beach so you will see fish and coral from the start and you might be able to squeeze in a short extra dive in this way, depending on your group and instructor. Some shops have a private pier, some shops depart with a longtail from the beach, and some use the public pier, where you will have to climb some other boats. Ask if this matters to you. Most important: find out maximum number of dive students in a group, and make sure you get an instructor who speaks your language if you are not absolutely sure about your English. These are the little things that will make the difference between an ok course and a great one.

• Buddha View dive resort [1]. Located in the tranquil Chalok Ban Kao beach in the south of Koh Tao. Buddha View is a PADI 5 star IDC gold palm resort and offers all dive courses from the PADI open water course through to the PADI instructor course (IDC). Great atmosphere in the evenings with beach bar and barbecue on the beach front.

• Calypso (Tanote bay) [2]. Thorough German dive teachers. small boat, small group, immediate dive of the beach (2. dive wreck diving by the beach). CMAS certified. quiet huts with lovely views next door at family tanote bay resort (400 Bth and up)

• Coral Grand divers & resort [3]. Located in a much quieter area than the other dive shops, at the far end of the beach, the hotel is more upmarket than most on the island although the free rooms are still basic. Operates 2 dive boats plus a speed boat.

• Ban's Career Development Center and 5-Star IDC Center [4]. largest divecenter on Koh Tao with 150 rooms and 2 swimming pools, located on the Sairee Beach. Instructor Courses conducted every month. Also check out [5] for daily news from Koh Tao.

• Crystal Dive Resort [6]. One of only a handful of PADI Career Development Centres in Thailand. Offers every PADI student diver level course and are the island specialists in PADI Divemaster and Instructor training. With a maximum student-Instructor ratio of 6:1 & Koh Tao's widest selection of environmental programs & courses Crystal was the only PADI Dive Center in Asia Pacific to be nominated for three awards at the 2008 PADI Asia Pacific Dive Center Awards ceremony, winning the Diver Training award.

• Diveglobe[7]. Book your dive course or live aboard dive trip online or come and see us in chalok ban kao - full range of dive destinations and dive courses.

• Divepoint (on the waterfront in mae haad) [8]. Divepoint has probably the biggest dive boat on the island, big enough that you won't have to carry your gear to and from it. PADI & SSI. (closed during Nov & Dec 2007)

• Davy Jones Locker diving resort (dive resort on sairee beach) [9]. Small groups, experienced instructors and quality instruction. PADI, BSAC & SSI courses. Wreck diving by high speed rib. Offers one-year internships for aspiring divemasters.

• Easy Divers [10]. A PADI 5 Star dive shop with friendly but experienced instructors. Professional and fun with great accommodation, and the only dive centre on Koh Tao with all inclusive packages. With a private pier and a maximum class size of 6 students to 1 instructor - Easy Divers was the the only Koh Tao dive centre to be featured on the 2008 Bebo.com [11]"The Gap Year" television series.

• Good Time Adventures [12]. Certified divers only, fast comfortable boat taking you where you want to go when you want to go to see the best sites with no crowds. We also offer PADI Advanced Open Water courses over a 3-4 day period giving you maximum flexibility to ensure you gain the best instruction possible.

• IDC Koh Tao [13]. Instructor Development Courses (IDC's) conducted every month by Award Winning PADI Course Director Matt Bolton.

• Just Dive It [14]. Connects to Koh Tao dive centers and offers all dive courses from the PADI open water course through to the PADI instructor course (IDC). Can arrange transport from Bangkok to Koh Tao online.

• Koh Tao instructor course [15]. PADI Divemaster and Instructor courses.

• Master divers (mae haad) [16]. Good safety record and well placed for people looking for a special thrill. Providing tec diving.

• Phoenix divers (sairee beach) [17]. Multilingual western and Thai staff.

• Planet Scuba (Maehaad) [18]. Samui International Diving School incorporating Planet Scuba has over 20 years of experience in Scuba Diving in Koh Samui and Scuba Diving in Koh Tao. One of Thailand's leading Dive Centers and the first Scuba Diving Center in Thailand to be awarded the prestigious PADI Career Development Center Rating (CDC). Recipient of many awards from PADI over the years. Operates a chain of Full Service Dive Centers on Koh Samui and Koh Tao offering the full range of PADI Scuba Diving courses from complete beginner up to Dive Instructor. Scuba Instructor Training in Thailand on both Koh Samui and Koh Tao running regular PADI IDC Thailand programs throughout the year.

• Sairee hut (sairee beach) [19]. Small but good, on the beach.

• Seashell dive center, [20]. wonderful place with helpful multilingual staff, good boats and gear. no free accommodation. located on sairee beach.

• Sunshine Divers Resort: located on beautiful Chalok Baan Kao beach, Sunshine Divers is a PADI 5 STAR Gold Palm Resort. Combined together, the; DMT’s, staff, instructors, students, resident dogs, and fun divers all contribute to the fun, relaxed, and friendly atmosphere of Sunshine Divers. [21]

• New way dive center, [22]. one of the oldest and most reputable dive shops, catering for a wide range of languages and senses of humour. accommodation available. located in sairee village.

• New Heaven Dive School, [23]. Over ten years of experience on Koh Tao and with that comes diving expertise. Has been involved with turtle conservation, reef restoration, The "We love Koh Tao" festival, The Koh Toa Under Water festival and any other activities which help to create the eco-friendly environment they would like to see on Koh Tao.

• If you're not into scuba diving, many operators arrange snorkeling trips around the island. ask your accommodation about a tour. long-tail boat and a driver can be chartered for about 1500-2000 baht/day including snorkeling gear.

Dive sites

To see interactive dive site maps for Ko Tao please click here:[24] or here: [25]

• Sail Rock - one of the more famous Scuba diving sites in the Ko Samui archipelago. It is an iceberg shaped pinnacle that rises from the sandy sea floor at 40 metres and rises 15 metres above the surface. It is a suitable dive site for all levels of diver, from Discover Scuba up. Its surface consists of small patches of hard and soft coral. Common fauna that may be seen include barracuda, batfish, jacks, occasional whale sharks, and many other species of tropical fish. The currents can vary considerably, but generally are mid to strong. Visibility is usually in the 10-30 meter range. For more advanced divers, there is a vertical 'swim through' on the northwest side of the rock. Commonly called "The Chimney", it begins at a depth of 18 meters and exits the rock again at depths of 12 and 6 meters. There are no associated fees as yet with diving Sail Rock.

• Chumphon Pinnacles - Widely regarded as the Gulf of Thailand's premier dive sites, 5 km Northwest of Koh Tao. The site is comprised of one huge granite pinnacle with some smaller pinnacles rising from the bottom. 40 Meters. Grey Reef Sharks, schooling Barracuda. Batfish, Giant Gropers, Pacific Lionfish, occasional Whalesharks.

• Southwest Pinnacles - Consisting of seven granite pinnacles ranging from 5 to 30 metres deep and located around 12km off the south west coast of Koh Tao is one of the islands best dive sites. The shallower sections of the pinnacles are covered in anemones, whip corals and sea fans. Big groupers and barracudas can often be seen here and you may be lucky enough to spot even larger visitors.

• Green Rock - Green Rock offers several small swimthroughs, caves and crevices where marine life can be seen sheltering. The boulders range in depth from 5 metres down to around 32. There is often a strong current here that you can use to drift around the submerged pinnacles so its not really recommended for inexperienced divers. You will certainly encounter Yellow Margin and Titan Trigger fish here as it forms a popular breeding ground for them ... so approach with caution.

• White Rock - Two large granite boulders make up the White Rock dive site. An expansive coral garden can be found here at around 10 meters that's teeming with schools of butterfly fish and angelfish. Blue spotted stingrays are also a common sight on this dive. White Rock is also a popular night dive spot where feather stars, and an array of crustaceans can been seen hunting for food.

• Red Rock - This dive site is also refered to as Nang Yuan Pinnacle. It starts at around 2 metres and drops to 22. The pinnacle itself is nothing special and the main attractions to this site are the swimthroughs. The entrance to the swimthrough can be found if you leave the pinnacle and head west towards Koh Nang Yuan. This is usually done as a drift dive down to Japanese Garden where you can relax for the safety stop.

• Twin Pinnacles - On the far side of Koh Nang Yuan starting at around 5 meters below the surface and dropping to a depth of 18 metres is Twin Peaks or just "Twins". This is an ideal site for beginners due to its depth and ease of navigation. The rocks are embedded into white sand and there is no shortage of marine life here. A friendly pair of rare saddleback clownfish and be found to the western side of the larger of the Twins.

• Japanese Gardens - This dive site is named after the ornate arrangement of coral boulders here. Situated on the east side of Koh Nang Yuan and with depths ranging from 2 to 12 meters it is suitable for snorkelers & beginners. Plenty of staghorn and plate coral can be observed in the shallows. A popular drift dive can be done from Red Rock through a series of swimthroughs and emerging into Japanese Gardens for a relaxing safety stop amongst the myriad coral formations.

• Hin Pee Wee - Next to White Rock, 30m.

• Mango Bay - Located to the north of Koh Tao the area around Mango Bay makes a nice relaxing dive. With depths ranging from 2 to 15 meters its ideal for beginners and snorkellers. Hard and soft coral formations here are plentiful along with a variety of sponges and clams. The bay is only accessible by boat and makes a popular snorkellers day trip. Drop in further around the northwestern tip of the island and drift into the bay area to avoid the crowds.

• Lighthouse -

• Hin Wong Pinnacle - Situated on the east side of Koh Tao is Hin Wong Pinnacle. This site comprises several large granite boulders covered with sea fans and whip corals, as well as filefish, shrimpfish, coral grouper and many other reef fish. You may encounter the resident Green Turtle if you're lucky. The summit is a tabletop rock formation within about 10 meters of the surface and the maximum depth at Hin Wong is around 32 meters.

• Laem Thien Pinnacle - Laem Thian Pinnacle is a great rocky dive site near Mao Bay full of swimmthroughs, caverns and small caves. There are a few steep walls with some predators hunting for smaller prey. Some excellent white soft coral and sea whips can be admired along the wall at depths between 18 and 5 meters. It is possible to combine this cave dive with the beauties of shallow reef diving inside Mao Bay or Aow Mao.

• Tanote Bay -

• Shark Island - Named after its resemblance to a dorsal fin, Shark Island is a twin rock outcrop situated to the southeast of Koh Tao. Each side of the islet offers a different array of marine life and features making it almost two sites in one! On the east side you'll find myriad soft corals, gorgonians and sponges while the west offers hard coral formations that are home to moray eels, nudibranchs, sting rays and the odd Leopard shark. Titan triggerfish can be very aggressive here so approach with caution. Maximum depth at this site is 25 metres.

• Hin Ngam - Same wider bay as Aow Luek, shallow training or sheltered dive dive.

• Unicorn Wreck - It was rumored at the time of sinking in 1989 that the Unicorn was sunk on purpose as an insurance scam. The 60 meter long cargo vessel was reported to have a hold full of expensive tuna fish which turned out to be inexpensive dog food, hence the nickname it later acquired - the "dog food" wreck. Lying around 12km off Mango Bay and in 50 meters of water it is also a technical dive. Still mostly intact with the majority of the obtrusive fishing nets now removed some penetration is possible. The wreck is now home to some big red snappers and patrolling groupers.

• Torpedo Wreck - The Torpedo is a 70 meter Japanese cargo vessel sitting upright in around 55 meters of water an hour north of Koh Tao, she sank in the mid 1970's. Due to the depths involved this has been classified a technical dive for experienced divers only. There are three areas of penetration however visibility is usually poor at depth. The deck is at 45 meters and the cargo holds are still full of teak logs, with a few scattered on the seabed.

Other activities

Over the last couple of years more and more non divers have discovered the beauty of this island with its secluded little bays and unspoiled mountain ridges. Due to this, and the increasing amount of small upmarket resorts and villas nestled in the hillsides there are nowadays a lot more activities available, including sailing, rock climbing, bouldering, abseiling, cliff jumping, wake boarding, paint-ball jungle games, mini golf or bowling in Mae Haad, massage and yoga courses, and cooking courses.

• Good Time Adventures [26] - Flexible and friendly with a wide range of adventure activities including: rock climbing instruction up to lead climbing and a guiding service, Scuba diving on a fast boat (certified divers only) taking you where you want to go when you want to go, abseiling / rappelling, mountain biking, cliff jumping, skin diving / snorkeling, booze cruises, and even good old fashioned pub crawls around the bars of the island. Tailored trips and packages are available to allow customers to have input on how they spend their time. Bouldering equipment (crash mats / shoes / chalk) are also available and include a free map of sites on the island.

• Hike to one of the secluded bays on the northern and eastern side of the island? On the 2 hour walk through the jungle to Mango Bay you will hardly meet any people. And when you're there-well, the snorkeling is good too.

• Island Cruises sailing charters are doing sailing courses, day and sunset cruises, private charters, Ang Thong National Marine Park safaris and fully customized crewed charters.

• Muay Thai - for those looking for a serious workout the Thai boxing stadium in Sairee offers Muay Thai courses and if that's not enough the Monsoon Gym is conveniently located alongside.

• MV watersports - Wake boarding, mini catamarans, water skiing.

Take a bike around the island. Shark Bay is a good place to go snorkeling for the day (don't worry too much about sharks, they are only small black-tip reef sharks). Koh Nang Yuan, Freedom beach, Laem Thian, Mango Bay, Hin Wong Bay and Tanote Bay are good day excursions, accessible by road or boat. If you rent a scooter, be prepared to turn around or continue by foot since some roads (e.g. to Mango Bay) may be in such condition that you need a dirt bike or a car to ride them. Some beaches are private, but a boat can take you snorkeling to those bays also.

However, to see the best places, go by foot as some are inaccessible to motorists. There are a number of good viewpoints around the island such as John Suwan mountain viewpoint in the South of the island, Two View in the center and Fraggle Rock in the North.

The only option is by boat. The nearest airport is in Ko Samui or Surat Thani, which is fairly well connected to major cities in the region (Bangkok, Penang, Singapore, etc).

If you're coming from the south, you can take a ferry from Surat Thani (around 3 hours for the morning ferry) on the mainland, or from Ko Samui (1.5 hours) or Ko Pha Ngan (1 hour). If you're taking a boat from Surat Thani by Bus or Train, one possibility might be an overnight ferry - depart around 23:00 and arrive in the morning, about 06:00 (subject to changes). It's advisable to arrive early to grab a mattress as most are formerly cargo boats, so facilities are basic.

If you're coming from the north, you can catch a ferry from Chumphon. Numerous agents sell tickets for a variety of boats of varying size and speed. The fastest takes about 90 minutes, the slowest almost 5 hours. the overnight train BKK (dep 18.15)- CHUMPON is best value: bed included and optional feed and drink, if you prebook.

You can also day trip on diving charters from Ko Samui. Many have high speed boats that can make the trip to Ko Tao in about an hour.

Lomprayah High Speed Catamaran or Seatran are the fastest and most comfortable way to get to Ko Tao. They run twice a day from Ko Samui, Ko Pha Ngan Surat Thani and Chumphon. They also have online booking - useful for checking availability at peak times and all their boats have air conditioning and movies for all passengers.

Sangserm offer "VIP" combined coach and boat tickets from Bangkok, claiming to take 6 hours by bus and 1.5 hours by boat - in fact, it takes closer to 9 hours by bus and 3 hours by boat, neither of which are particularly comfortable.

There is one main road running North to South on the island with many smaller roads diverting off it. Some roads lead over the spine of small mountains that run along the middle of the island and are all dirt, can close out after rain, and can be challenging even to a skilled driver. There are usually plenty of taxi cars available on both Sairee village and Mae Haad, however they tend to be expensive given the actual distance you travel.

You can rent bicycles and motorcycles at a few places on Sairee Beach, Mae Haad, and Chalok. Be careful if you rent a motorbike as the dirt roads can get dangerous. ATV's are dangerous (ask any medical clinic) and expensive (500+ THB a day) and should be avoided in favor of Honda Dream's (150-200 THB a day) or Sonic's (200-250 THB a day).

Be aware that an increasing number of rental shops are charging large amounts of money for non-existent scratches on bikes when returning them, notably the shop next to 7/11 in Sairee. Make sure you note down all scratches and dents before you rent a bike from anyone. Chopsticks Travel & Bike Rental have been recently recommended.

Longtail boats offer rides to and from certain beaches on the island. They are a more comfortable way of getting to isolated beaches than attempting to ride over the mountains. Round island longtail 500-700 baht, short trips 100-200 baht.

A huge selection of Thai food is available, including lots of sea food. Barbecue fish is one of the local favourites. As a large portion of the population are expats, you will find plenty of other cuisines ,too.

Thai food is cheapest, with July 2007 prices ranging from 45 baht for stuff-on-rice through to 250 baht for a nice hunk of fresh barbecue fish at a decent restaurant. 25 baht would get you a fresh banana pancake, and 60 baht a bowl of porridge with honey at a budget resort's restaurant. 200-300 baht would get you a bowl of freshly made Italian pasta, and 160-200 baht for pizza. Fresh fruit juices are available at many stalls for 20-30 baht.

• ''Bhan Thai'', (Saieree Plaza- Next to the Cabaret Show). Average Tex-Mex, Cozy, small restaurant with FREE pool in the terrace. It serves GOOD Thai food. Excellent CURRIES. There is a nice guy who can explain any dish and answer any question about the food. He can also give you some hints of Koh Tao Cheap.  edit

• El Toro Restaurant, (between Ban's and AC BAR). Average Tex-Mex, Pizza and Thai food.  edit

• Lung Pae Restaurant, (follow the road direction 'Monkey's show', then take first road on the left (red sign)), ☎ 08-62871039 (+66-862871039). Cheap, very delicious traditional Thai food, but also western food and BBQ meat and fish. For a starter the 'chicken satai' is recommended. Their 'yam nam tok nua' (waterfall style beef) is superb! Great lassi's and shakes. Very cosy environment with lots of colorful lanterns. Excellent view, and chill music. Very good cook and friendly staff, runned by Lung Pae ('uncle Pae'). Not so far from the main road as you might think. Also, Uncle Pae will collect you for free, from any place on the island, to bring you to his lovely restaurant if you call him!  edit

• Thipwimarn Restaurant, (at the north of the island). Wonderful sunset views and a "higher class" feel - but the prices are not much different from the rest of the island. Great for dates.  edit

• Safety Stop Pub, (Mae Haad - beach front at Seatran pier), ☎ + 66 (0)77 456 209. 7AM-late. Comfy english pub with tropical beer garden. Draught beers, Wild buckets. English pub grub. Weekend BBQ's Sunday roasts. Daily Specials. Live sports.  edit

• Choppers Bar and Grill, (Sairee village), [27]. Australian Sports bar on Koh Tao. Live Music, Live Sports, Pub Grub and a wide selection of beers. Great food, great value with a lively crowd every night.  edit

• Cafe del Sol, (Mae Haad). Authentic French and Italian cusine, homemade past and pizza, smoked salmon and first choice steaks: excellent wine collection.  edit

• Chopsticks, (Mae Haad), ☎ 0892901930, [28]. Chinese classic dishes and delicious dimsum eat in or delivery  edit

• Greasy Spoon, (Mae Haad). Full Monty English breakfast bar. Eat in or delivery.  edit

• Farango Pizzeria, (Mae Haad and Sairee Village). Great pizza and pasta, always busy with dine in or take away.  edit

• La Matta Ristorante Italiano, (Mae Haad). Italian pizza and pasta, daily specials and free pool, one of the oldest restaurants in Koh Tao, crazy management, but funny times enjoyed there for a delicious food and sensible staff.  edit

• Noori India, (Sairee Beach), ☎ 0801456476. Impressive Indian food with authentic chefs using the finest imported herbs & spices. Check out the Tandoori Chicken. Eat in or delivery.  edit

• Morava, (Sairee Village). Contemporary Asian design, deli style daytime menu: wraps, bagels and health smoothies. Fine dining and sushi bar  edit

• King Crab, (Sairee Beach). Pick your own seafood and dine on the beach.  edit

• Tongs Thai Food, (Sairee Village). Classic locals hangout, big restaurant, low prices and good food.  edit

• Tukta Thai Food, (Chalok Ban Kao). Cheap and good Thai food.  edit

• Chinese Noodles, (Mae Haad (next to Thai Art)). Best Noodle Soup in Thailand, seriously.  edit

• Bingo Thai Food, (South Sairee Beach). Thai food / Western food  edit

• Zanzibar, (Sairee Plaza). Fantastic selection of coffee and bakery food. Home made bread ranging from pita to baguettes with an extensive range of sandwich and breakfast options. Try the Good Time breakfast burrito.  edit

When you get a break from diving, there are a few bars on the island. The bars on the island rotate nights, so the best bet is to ask someone working at dive shop which bar will be crowded that night or check the posters. Many start off the evening at the bars located at the northern end of Sairee, and after they closes at 1am, make a pilgrimage down towards whichever club is open for the rest of the evening at the southern end of Sairee.

• Fizz Beach Bar and Lounge, (on Sairee Beach). Chilled out beach bar with bean bags and Thai cushions right on the sand. Great after dinner location to sit and chill but it never gets lively as standing room is limited.  edit

• MOOV, Sairee Beach (Opposite InTouch Resort), (info@moov-kohtao.com), [29]. 4pm-2am. An enchanting haven at the beginning of Sairee Beach - where imagination, playfulness and soulful tunes unite. Check for funky daytime events and monthly parties.  edit

• Vibe, (North Sairee Beach). Atmospheric beach bar with happy, funky vibes, fire shows & refreshing cocktails  edit

• Khirana, (Chalok Ban Kao). Swimming pool bar on the beach  edit

• Lotus Bar - Small bar that is always busy!

• Dirty Nelly's, (Mae Haad). The first and only Irish pub on Koh Tao with Irish management, live music, extensive food options and live sport.  edit

• Queens Cabaret - Regular nightly cabaret act with extravagant costumes and good humored showgirls.

• Trade Winds - Bar with swimming pool located in central Sairee Village at Davey Jones Locker. Regular BBQ nights and locals hangout.

• AC bar - Late night club that generally does not kick off until 2 am. Fairly dodgy crowd with lady boys, drunk tourists and average music.

• In Touch - Late night club that is open only a couple of times a week. House music on the far South of Sairee beach.

• Maya bar - Very very similar to AC Bar, when one is open the other is closed, same music, same crowd right next door.

• The Castle - Weekly parties at this out of the way club. Can prove to be a good night out with refreshing tunes and a mixed crowd.

• Moon Burger